Some Still Try to Walk Trump Back from Brink
June 18—Sources close to the White House say there is a concerted effort by some patriots and others around President Donald Trump to walk him back from the brink of a decision to throw in with the Israelis in their murderous attack on the nation of Iran, ostensibly to end that nation's nuclear ambitions once and for all. The group—which includes Mideast Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, as well as intelligence specialists, diplomats, and some of Trump's strongest allies in Congress and the GOP—argues that the only way to prevent the development of an Iranian bomb is through negotiations. They contend Iran can forgo nuclear weapons if their right to live in peace is guaranteed by the U.S. and President Vladimir Putin's Russia.
These sources report that, thus far, Trump has rejected several overtures from Iranian leadership to restart talks for a nuclear deal. In the meantime, Iranian civilians are being battered by Israeli airstrikes that Iran appears unable to defend against. These strikes have already severely damaged Iranian nuclear and missile facilities and eliminated key scientists and military leaders.
Trump’s Public Remarks and Mixed Signals
“I said it’s really late. You know? I said it’s very late to be talking… There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” the president said to reporters during the installation of a new flagpole on the White House lawn.
Trump noted that Iranian emissaries “even suggested they come to the White House,” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered to intercede.
“I said, ‘Vladimir, let’s mediate Russia [and Ukraine] first. You can worry about this later’,” Trump said.
“That’s, you know, courageous but it’s not easy for them to do,” he said of the Iranians, expressing affection for the Iranian people. He blamed Ayatollah Khamenei for rejecting a deal he had offered. “They can be difficult, but so can you… they’re smart people, and those people are getting the hell beaten out of them,” Trump said of the Iranians. “They had 60 days… plenty of time, and they made a mistake—honestly, they made a mistake. Their country is in ruins. So many people are dead who shouldn’t be dead. It’s a very sad thing.”
And then, in contrast to his earlier statement, Trump added, “Nothing’s too late. The only thing too late is [Federal Reserve chairman Jerome] Powell.”
Time Running Out for Diplomacy
Sources say Trump is likely to make a final decision about U.S. involvement within the next 24 hours. "The longer he can hold out against the Israeli pressure to join them," one source stated, "the more likely he can be presented with a negotiation package he can accept. The Iranians are truly desperate."
According to the source, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s motivations go beyond nuclear containment. “He is a lunatic messianic Jew who sees Iran—the Persian Empire—as Israel’s biblical enemy which must be destroyed... He wants to bomb all those innocent people, who Trump professes to love, back to the Stone Age and wants the U.S. to participate."
Military Planning and Warnings
Specifically, the Israelis have requested that the U.S. take out Iran's last hardened nuclear site, the Fedorov lab, which is embedded deep inside a mountain and inaccessible to Israeli airstrikes. They believe it could be destroyed by American 15-ton "bunker buster" bombs. U.S. military sources believe that a full operation would require special forces on the ground in Iran to complete mop-up tasks—a step that could provoke direct conflict with Iranian forces, including the Revolutionary Guard.
Still, others caution that even a successful operation would not eliminate Iran's ability to build a bomb. “It is just not hard to do anymore, if you are a culturally and technologically advanced nation such as Iran,” one source said, arguing that negotiations are the only viable option. “Maybe they have some trouble weaponizing it for missile delivery, but even that can be done. They could quickly build a couple of dirty bombs with fissionable material hidden away somewhere… a couple of dirty bombs, hand delivered so to speak, would pretty much wipe out Israel.”
Those in Trump’s circle urging restraint say that, despite the pressure and rhetoric, they still have the President's ear. But they also warn that his patience is waning. “He does not like seeing dead bodies, from anyone, for any reason,” one source said. “If he decides to go in, he will see a lot of them—including Americans. The Iranians, despite some nasty rhetoric, have not attacked American bases or personnel. I would not put it past Bibi to run some ‘red flag’ operations against Americans, if that’s the only way to bring Trump in on his side.”